The Choices We Make
by EccaDaisy
Summary: It has been nearly three years since the defeat of Voldemort, and Harry has finally realized that he needs to go home and face the demons of his past. But what will he find when he goes back to his homeland? Read to find out...
1. Unexpected

**The Choices we Make**

**By EccaDaisy**

**Summary: **It has been nearly three years since the defeat of Voldemort, and Harry has finally realized that he needs to go home and face the demons of his past. But what will he find when he goes back to his homeland? Read to find out…

**Chapter 1:**

**Unexpected**

"Alohomora" muttered Harry Potter, before silently moving from the dark and foggy night into the relative safety of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Without thinking, Harry made his way to his old room and collapsed on the bed, where he spent the next 10 hours tossing and turning, reliving the nightmares that had cursed his sleep for the past two years.

Harry awoke with a start, momentarily forgetting where he was, but properly waking up when he heard noises downstairs. Quickly grabbing his wand and glasses, Harry stealthily moved out to the first landing, before creeping down the stairs and stopping just outside the closed kitchen door. After a deep breath, Harry shoved the door open, at the same time yelling "Stupefy!" and pointing his wand at the intruder before him.

Stepping into the room Harry quickly assessed whether there was anyone else in the room, before checking the intruder, and upon seeing who it was, could only think that she was going to kill him when she came to.

Ginny Weasley came to with a start, automatically grabbing her wand which lay beside her. Turning around she saw the last person she expected to see, Harry Potter.

"H-Harry?" stammered Ginny.

"Here drink this," said Harry handing her a cup of tea, "it will help."

After tentatively taking a few sips, Ginny started to ask what he was doing there at the exact same time as Harry started to ask the same thing, which caused both to stop mid-sentence not knowing what to say.

Harry was the first to speak. "Well, it is technically my house. I just need somewhere to sleep for the night."

"Sorry, it's just that I never see anyone here anymore, I didn't mean to scare you or anything," Ginny hastened to say. "It's just… this is the only place I can come to think, it's …my last link to you," Ginny finished, her voice no louder than a whisper.

Harry didn't know what to say. It had been nearly 2 years since he had seen Ginny, he knew only through Ron that she had finished her seventh year at Hogwarts last year, and had started her training to become a Medi-Witch soon after. He had nearly forgotten just how beautiful she was, her flaming red hair, her big brown eyes, her cute little button nose… "Snap out of it, Harry," he told himself, "There is a war going on, remember? You're the one who put a stop to the relationship you and Ginny shared two and a half years ago before you went in search of Voldemort's Horcruxes. You can't fall apart at the first sight of her!"

Ginny couldn't believe that he was standing in front of her after all this time. In the past 2 years since she had last seen him he had changed, he was taller and looked a lot stronger, she guessed it was from all the battles he had endured over the past two years. But he also looked older, older beyond his years. The war had taken its toll on Harry Potter, she could see the scars and the recent bruising and it looked like his nose had been broken as well. Her eyes traveled from his rough hands to his dirty face and then to his eyes, those emerald green eyes that used to hold her captivated with love, happiness and freedom… they were now blank, near lifeless. She shuddered to think what Harry had seen and done. Whenever Ron and Hermione visited the Burrow they never spoke about what they had done, all they did was sleep, have a proper meal, hear if there were any news and let them all know that they were Ok. They usually only stayed a night, sometimes two, before they went out again to fight the war. The first time they had come home Ginny had asked them why Harry wasn't with them; all they had said was that he was safe and needed time alone. The next time they arrived, Harry was with them, but after having a quick discussion with her father and Remus Lupin he left again before she had had a chance to talk with him. He had never come back with Ron or Hermione since, and eventually she had given up asking them where he was and why he hadn't come back. She just looked after them the best she could along with the help from her mother, and every time they left she asked them to tell Harry that she missed him and hoped to see him again soon. Now that was finally standing there right in front of her, she didn't have a clue of what to say.

Harry thought back to the times in the past two years when Ron and Hermione had come back from the Burrow, and with them came the same message from Ginny every time, that she missed him and hoped to see him soon. How many times had he laid awake thinking of her, hoping she was safe, wanting just to hold her and tell her everything; she had always been the one other than Ron and Hermione that he could talk to. And now here they were, and he couldn't think of one thing to say.

"Let me get you something to eat, you look like you haven't had a decent meal in weeks," said Ginny, getting up and moving towards the stove.

Harry couldn't help it; he started laughing, soon not being able to hold back tears. It took a couple of moments before Ginny realized that Harry's tears weren't of laughter, but of sadness, a deep, profound sadness that Ginny hated to see.

"What's the matter Harry, did I say something?" asked Ginny walking over to where Harry was and placing her hands in his. Harry took a quick step back, removing his hands from Ginny's; seeing the hurt in her eyes made him want to cry even more. Instead, he sat her down and started to pour out all the demons he had faced in the last 2 years. He told her about the Horcruxes, and how close they were. It was dark when they finally stopped talking, both were so emotionally drained, they had cried over lost ones and had reminisced their happier times at Hogwarts, playing Quidditch and laughing at the antics of the twins.

Ginny got up and headed to the kitchen hoping to find something they could eat. Although it had been hard to hear everything that Harry had said, Ginny was glad that Harry had opened up to her. It had been hard for him to relive everything that had happened, but she knew that deep down he needed to, so he could move on and prepare for the final Horcrux and what she hoped would be the last battle against Lord Voldemort.

After dinner they returned to the study and sat in comfortable silence, each thinking about the events of the afternoon, events from the past and what was to come in the future. Harry couldn't believe that he had told Ginny everything, but was glad that he had. He had missed her so much and although he knew that it was hard for her to hear what had been happening, she needed to hear it, and he needed to say it. It was about 7.30 when Ginny broke the silence.

"I think I better go, you need some rest."

"No wait, Ginny," Harry begged. "I, I was hoping you would stay here, I mean only if you want to, I just, I haven't felt this safe since, since I was last at the Burrow. Please just, stay…" Harry finished, getting up and walking over to the window, not daring to face Ginny. He knew she wouldn't stay, it would be too hard, but all he wanted to do was just hold her and never let her go.

Ginny didn't know what to say, so instead she walked over to Harry and captured him in a fierce hug. Harry was momentarily shocked, but quickly wrapped his arms around her. They stood like that for what seemed like days, although in reality it had been but a few minutes. Ginny slowly let go of Harry, looking up into his eyes that were once again on fire, and before realizing what she was doing, she kissed him. Harry was surprised to say the least, but after a moment he found himself kissing her back, matching her passion. A couple of minutes later they pulled apart, both needing to breathe. Neither of them spoke; they knew all they needed to know by looking into each others eyes. Slowly, Harry led Ginny up to his room, and laid her down on the bed.

"Ginny, do you really want this?" asked Harry, his voice full of emotion.

"Yes," came Ginny's strong, but quiet voice.

Harry awoke at 5am, hearing a voice, only to open his eyes and see Ginny curled up beside him, mumbling in her sleep. Harry had to suppress a laugh; he remembered Ron talking in his sleep both in their old dormitory at Hogwarts and at the Burrow during holidays; it seemed that sleep talking was a Weasley trait. All Harry wanted to do was lay there all day, but he knew that if he stayed he would never leave and there was still so much left to do. So after taking one last look at the sleeping Ginny, Harry climbed out of bed trying not to disturb her, grabbed his belongings and headed to the shower.

Harry emerged from the shower feeling fresher and stronger than he had in months. After having a quick breakfast, Harry left… stepping out into the chilly London air, off to defeat Voldemort for good.

It was past 8 o'clock when Ginny woke up. It took a few seconds for her to realize where she was, then the memories of the night before came flooding back to her and she rolled over to see Harry, only to find she was alone. "Maybe it was all a dream," thought Ginny, but no, it couldn't be, the passion was too real to be a dream. Thinking that maybe Harry had gone down to the kitchen, Ginny got up, unceremoniously putting on her clothes and fixing her hair. She ran downstairs only to slow down and quietly creep to the kitchen, as to not wake Mrs. Blacks' portrait. Walking into the kitchen she found it completely empty, Harry had gone… without saying good bye. It was then that Ginny noticed the letter on the table; immediately knowing that it was from Harry she quickly walked over, and tore the envelope before calming herself and sitting down to read Harry's letter.

_My Dearest Ginny,_

_I'm sorry for not saying good bye, but I had to go, there is still so much left to do. You must keep what has happened between us in the last 18 hours to yourself. If Voldemort ever found out and tried to hurt you… I couldn't live with myself. _

_By the time you read this I will be back with Ron and Hermione, we still have a bit of preparing to before we destroy Nagini. From there it should hopefully all be really quick._

_Ginny, last night was so special for me, I will always remember it and no matter what happens I Love You Ginny. Please look after everyone, especially yourself. I promise I will never leave you... _

_With all my Love,_

_Harry_

By the time Ginny finished reading the letter, she was in tears. Not knowing what to do, or where to go, Ginny just sat in the kitchen of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, thinking that where ever Harry was, he was going to be OK, he had to be. She wouldn't let herself think otherwise.

As soon as he had left Number 12 Grimmauld Place, Harry apparated to Godric's Hollow, wanting to visit his mum and dad before seeing Ron and Hermione again. For the next 45 minutes Harry, after casting the needed charms, sat down and told his mother and father what had been happening. After finishing, Harry just sat in silence; he had said what he needed to say, and that was all he could do for the time being.

The sun was just starting to peek through the fog. Harry looked at his watch, it was a few minutes to seven, they would be here soon. Just as he was getting up he heard the soft pops of 2 people Apparating meters in front of him. It was Ron and Hermione, both with sad yet determined looks on their faces.

The sun was just setting as Ginny Apparated back to the Burrow. She went straight to her room, and spent the next 10 hours tossing and turning, reliving the nightmares from past years that had haunted her dreams since she was 11.

**Authors Note:** First of all I hoped you enjoyed this and huge Thanks go to my amazing Beta, Jen. The next chapter should be up in a few days, so please review… Ecca


	2. The Traveller

**Chapter 2:**

**The Traveler**

_Three and a half years later…_

Harry Potter awoke, as usual, to the noises of the cars passing below, on their way to work in this big city. Harry had come to Melbourne, Australia almost 2 years before. Since then he had traveled around Australia and had finally ended up back in Melbourne, a city that never seemed to stop.

Harry thought back to all he had done and seen since leaving his homeland 3 and half years earlier. He had not been in touch with any of his friends or family, and for the most of it, the Wizarding community. That was why he had chosen to escape to this remote country, because no one could find him and he was far away from all the demons.

_When he had first arrived in Australia, he spent a month in Melbourne, trying unsuccessfully to rid his mind of those left behind. Wanting to get away from it all, Harry had headed north, ending up in a small town called Robinvale where he spent a few months picking grapes. He found the physical labor of picking rather comforting, knowing that at night he could sleep, purely because his body was normally too tired for anything else. It was the end of December and harvest was over, it was time for Harry to move on. Not knowing where he wanted to go, he grabbed a ride with the first person who would take him. _

_After a few days on the road, Harry and his new friend, Dylan, who was heading to a place called Darwin, stopped in a town called Cammoweal. Harry had immediately liked the small town, reminding him of Robinvale. So, after saying his goodbyes to Dylan, had taken a room in the local pub and began looking for work. This task he found rather hard, but that didn't bother him. It was one afternoon when sitting at the pub that Harry was approached by one of the older citizens. Her name was Mildred, but was more commonly known as Millie, or Auntie Millie by the locals. Millie had asked him what he was doing in Cammoweal, to which he explained that he was spending a year or so just traveling before returning to the UK, not really wanting to lie to the older lady but at the same time knowing the truth was still too fresh to even fathom. It was there and then that Auntie Millie had offered him a job working around her house, mostly tending to her yard. So the infamous Harry Potter had become a gardener. Although he had never been as good as Hermione or even Neville when it came to Herbology, he had actually listened in classes, and after a while Harry had found that even though magical plants and normal plants where rather different one could still employ the same rules when tending to their needs._

_Five months later Harry had started to find that Cammoweal was a bit too small for him, everyone knew all there was to know about all the other townsfolk, and Harry hated to lie to them all about his past. So after a sad farewell to Millie and Max, the publican, Harry had headed west, looking for brighter (and busier) pastures. Before long Harry came across the town of Broome, located in the far North West of Australia. Broome at this time of year was exactly what he needed, for it was the start of June, and also the middle of tourist season, and it was not just Aussie tourists, there were American, Japanese, Swedish, French, and English Tourists, among others. Harry fitted in perfectly. _

_Harry enjoyed life in Broome; he spent his days relaxing on wonderful Cable Beach, or enjoying the many historical aspects of Broome and its surroundings. Before he knew it Harry had spent over 5 months in Broome. It was the end of October and the weather was starting to get hotter and the humidity was increasing. It was time to head south, and after a chat to a few of the remaining tourists, Harry headed to South Australia, to the Barossa Valley. After working in Robinvale all those months before, Harry enjoyed the many delights that the Barossa had to offer, from its stunning views to the many great wineries. Harry worked in a few different wineries, learning everything from how wines were made to how to choose a good wine. It was while sitting around with some of his colleagues at the winery when Harry realized that it was time to move on._

_Harry had made himself a promise when he left England. He decided that he would never again let anyone in. It was too dangerous, everyone who came close to him were always negatively affected, some died trying to protect him, his mother had, as well as his father, Sirius and Dumbledore. Not to mention those who lost their lives when the War had really begun. Harry excused himself, and left. He headed back to the house he shared with a few other guys, and after making sure he was alone, he cried. He cried for the Creevey brothers who had been tortured to their death, he cried for Charlie Weasley who was like a brother to him, he cried for Molly Weasley who had been the mother he never had and he cried for Remus Lupin who had been the last link to his parents. So many people had died for him, and it was all his fault. He would never be able to have close friends, he would never be able to love and he would never, ever return to England. That night Harry fell to sleep with tears still in his eyes, wishing his life would just end._

_When Harry awoke the next morning, he quickly and quietly packed his stuff. He wrote a short note telling his housemates that he had left and would not be returning, before catching the first bus back to Melbourne._

Harry looked at the time, it was nearly 9 o'clock, and he had been daydreaming for over an hour. Quickly grabbing his wand and stuffing it into his pocket Harry left his apartment, heading towards Wemen Road, the hub of the Melbourne Wizarding World.

Walking into The Outback Cauldron, Harry was greeted with the welcoming presence of magic. Even after his years in the Wizarding world and seeing such places as Diagon Alley and events like the Quidditch World Cup, Harry was still hit by a sense of awe when he saw magic like this. Yes, it maybe everyday magic: the broom in the corner sweeping on its own, the cloth wiping down the table to his left or the glasses washing themselves behind the bar, it was just wonderful. Harry headed towards the bar, and after a small nod at Angus, the barman, his drink was sent straight to him and Harry headed off to find a table.

Half an hour later and Harry headed towards the back door, off towards Wemen Road. Stepping through the door Harry remembered his first visit to The Outback Cauldron and Wemen Road.

_It had been 2 months since his return to Melbourne and during that time he had lived in several different places around the city. That's what he liked about Melbourne, he was just another person, going about his life, and he didn't have worry about anybody finding his secrets. It was by knowing this that Harry had done what he did that day. He had found and went into the Melbourne Wizarding Community. Wemen Road was much like Diagon Alley and except for some differences in name, it could have been exactly the same. Getting into Wemen Road was really by chance for Harry, he had been walking down Flinders Street when he noticed a pub that caught his eye, it was called The Outback Cauldron. Harry stood outside it for a few minutes and noticed that no one gave it a second glance, except one man who was wearing some sort of bonnet. After seeing this man, it dawned on Harry; this was the entrance to a world Harry had fought to forget for the past year. After standing outside, lost in his thoughts for what seemed like hours, Harry came to the conclusion that he would have to go in, and see if he was right. So, without giving himself any more time to think about it, Harry walked straight inside. _

_Once inside, there was no doubt that this was a Wizarding pub. There was a cloth cleaning one of the tables by itself, pictures that were moving, and a couple of amber filled glasses that had been levitated and were slowly making their way to some customers at the back of the pub; not to mention the many witches and wizards who were wearing a mixture between odd Muggle clothing and Wizarding robes, most in the latter of the two. After pausing for a few moments to reacquaint himself with all the magic in the room, Harry propped himself on a bar stool towards the end of the bar. A few moments later an elderly wizard appeared asking what he would like to drink; Harry ordered a Butterbeer and paid. It was good to be back around wizards and witches. Even though he hadn't practiced magic in a while, Harry always carried his wand with him, (which was at the moment in a hidden pocket in his jacket), it made him feel safer. Well, at least a little. Harry finished his Butterbeer and sat in silence, just happy to be around magic again. _

_Noting that the young man had finished his Butterbeer, Angus walked over to ask him if he wanted another. Angus was used to seeing tourists come through his bar, it was the entrance to Wemen Road after all, but this one was different. He had met a lot of different Wizards and Witches, and after a while, one tends to get a feel for just how much magical power they have. And if Angus was right, which he usually was, then this young man had incredible power. Why, Angus hadn't seen anyone as powerful as him since that old wizard from England, with the long white hair and beard, not to mention the ever present twinkle in his eyes, had come into his pub many years ago. _

"_So, sonny, would you like another drink?"_

"_Um, no thanks, but, um, can I get to the Wizarding world from here?" Harry said, feeling like a complete idiot. _

"_Oh, you mean Wemen Road, of course. Just go through that door, it leads to the rear yard of the pub, out there you'll find an old dunny, all you have to do is go in and flush the toilet," replied Angus. _

_Harry said a quick thank-you, and headed toward the door the bartender had pointed to… and sure enough, he walked out to find an old "dunny"; he always had to laugh at Australian slang. Harry stepped inside, closed the door and pushed the button. But nothing happened, so he tried again. Still, nothing happened. Maybe the bartender had been playing a joke on him, if he was, it wasn't overly funny; the twins could do so much better than this. _

_Harry wasn't quite sure what to do, he really wanted to get to this Wemen Road, but what to do? In the end he decided to go back to the bar and talk to the man, hopefully he would get the right information this time, so Harry stepped out of the toilet and straight into Wemen Road… _

Snapping out of his thoughts, Harry walked over to the dunny, closed the door and pressed the button, before stepping out, to be greeted by the sight of Wemen Road. Wemen Road was much like Diagon Alley. There was a wand shop, called the Wander Boys, and although he had never been in there he knew it was run by brothers who had taken it on when their father had passed on. Then there was the pet store, with everything from owls to toads. Next he passed the ice-creamery and a lovely little café called 'The Charming Space". As he continued down the road, he went past various little shops: the apothecary, a dress robe shop, a few other cafés and finally he arrived at Gringotts. Heading straight for the head goblin, Harry handed him a little key and gave him a swift nod. They never questioned Harry, and never told anyone else who he was, Harry was thankful for that.

After grabbing some money from his vault, Harry decided to head to the shop that could always make him laugh - "Fools Palace". "Fools Palace" was, naturally, a joke shop and although Harry thought it would never live up to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, it certainly did a good job, as judged by the amount of customers that came through the doors daily.

After spending most of the day in Wemen Road, Harry decided to head back into Muggle Melbourne, thinking about the pub he had spotted a few days before hand that was conveniently not far from his apartment.

An hour and a quick meal at The Outback Cauldron later, Harry was stepping into The Black Swan, a reasonable large pub, with a beautiful timber bar running nearly the whole length of the side wall. At the back of the pub there was a stage which had a young man, maybe a couple of years older than himself setting up a keyboard and a microphone. Since he had come to Melbourne, Harry had liked to go out and enjoy a quiet drink at one of the many pubs, while listening to local artists, some of which who were excellent and some who were… well, not so good. Deciding he would stay around and see what the music would be like tonight, Harry went to the bar, asked for a beer and then found a table on the other side of the pub about halfway between the stage and the entrance.

After taking a few sips of his beer, Harry looked up towards the stage to see that the young man had disappeared and another man, who was a bit older than the previous, walked out on to stage and straight to the microphone. Stopping at the microphone, he gave it a couple of small taps to make sure it was working and started.

"Evenin' and welcome to The Black Swan, tonight we a privileged to have a very talented singer perform for us. So without gibbering on, please Welcome, Mr. Don Newington!!"

Everyone started clapping and cheering, and although Harry had never heard of the singer he joined in, noticing that the group next to him were particularly loud. They seemed to know the singer and kept screaming out "Go Newie" and "Go Piano man". Looking back up to the stage Harry could see another young man standing behind the keyboard grinning broadly at everyone in front of him.

"Thanks for the Welcome, its great to be here, although I must apologize for the rather raucous group in the middle, I don't know them" said Don, with a rather wicked grin on his face. At this comment the table next to Harry started again cheering and laughing. 45 minutes later Don stood up and let the crowd know that he would be back in 15 minutes.

Harry had enjoyed the man's music, he sung from the heart and Harry could sense that it was based on his life. Some of the songs he had chosen to explain, like the one called "Big Brick House", which was based on the year that he had gone to Boarding School. The table next to Harry was very familiar with the song and after a while Harry guessed that they too had been students with Don. Draining his drink, Harry headed over to the bar, humming one of the tunes from earlier.

Lost in his own thoughts, Harry was startled when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Automatically going for his wand, Harry stopped when the woman started talking to him,

"Hi, my name's Gabrielle, but my mates just call me Gaby."

Harry looked at the woman standing in front of him. She was a nice looking girl with long brown hair and big hazel eyes with flecks of green in them.

"Oh, hi, my name's Harry," he replied.

"Hi, Harry. I noticed you sitting by yourself; you could come and join us if you want."

It was then that Harry realized who she was; she was one in the group sitting next to him... "One from the raucous table."

"Sorry, I didn't catch that," said Gaby.

"Oh, nothing, just thinking out loud, um, yeah, I would love to join you. You're sure your friends wouldn't mind?" replied Harry.

"Nah, most of them are too pissed to notice what's going on. Come on, Don should be back any moment, and his second half is always the best."

Grabbing Harry's hand, she led him back to her table and sat down offering him the seat next to her. After sitting down she introduced Harry to all her friends. Turning to a young blond girl beside her Gaby started,

"Ok, this is Britt, don't mind her she can be loud and annoying, other than that she really lives up to her hair colour." Everyone laughed, making humorous jibes at the younger girl. "This is Zoe," Gaby continued, "she's a fashion designer, but watch her, she likes to party. This is Paul, also a musician; he co-wrote some of the songs Dave has sung tonight."

To this Paul laughed and said,

"Co-wrote, don't you mean I wrote most of them? Dave's getting slack in his old age."

At this there was another round of laughter; must be an in joke, thought Harry.

"Ok, shush up you lot. This is Jesse, he's the strange one of the group, well, not that we aren't all strange. And finally, this is Hikaru." Gaby pointed to a Japanese guy who was passed out with a half empty rum in his hand. "Don't worry about H, he's usually like this although I must say that this is rather early for him to be passed out." The rest of the group laughed and started reminding Gaby of the week before, Harry gathered that "H" was known for his drinking abilities, or lack thereof.

After introducing him to her friends, Gaby turned back to Harry. "So Harry, I take it your on holidays here?"

"Um, yeah, something like that," replied Harry. Just then Don walked back on stage and the room quieted down.

"This song is called Vacation, and was written for a dear friend of mine... You know who you are…"

_Spring is here again,_

_And the sky is blue,_

_And I'm not scared of the dark anymore,_

'_cos I've found something new.._

It was a nice song, slower then the others, but as Harry looked around his new table of friends his eyes came to rest on Gaby, who was staring at the stage without really looking at it. It was then that Harry realized that this must be Don's 'dear friend'. A couple of minutes later and the song ended, very quietly Gaby told her friends that she was leaving. She then turned to Harry,

"Sorry, but I have to go, but please stay if you want, these guys don't bite."

Harry didn't know what made him say it, whether it was the fact that the song had stirred his emotions as well or the fact that he knew Gaby needed someone to talk to, but whatever it was he soon found himself saying that he would go with her.

Harry and Gaby left the pub and started to walk in silence, in the end they came to the park just around the corner from Harry's apartment. Not knowing what to do, Harry led Gaby to a park bench and sat down, waiting for her to talk first.

"Sorry about before, I knew that Don had been working on a song for me but that was the first time I heard it." Harry opened his mouth to say something but then shut it again knowing that nothing he could say would help. It was Gaby who yet again broke the silence again, "Don has been there for me so much in the past few years… I owe him so much; I don't think I would be alive today without him…"

Harry looked at his watch, they had been sitting there for over 3 hours. Thank goodness it wasn't a cold night; otherwise they would both be waking up with a cold the next morning.

"We should really get you home, you look exhausted. Come on, I'll walk you," said Harry. 15 minutes later, Harry and Gaby were standing in front of an apartment much like his, and after saying farewell to his new friend Harry headed for his own apartment.

On the way back Harry thought about the conversation that he had had with Gaby. She had talked a lot about her past, how she had gone off the tracks and left all her friends behind until she had run into Dave about 6 months ago and he had helped her to find herself again. Hearing Gaby talk about all the things that had happened in her life brought back some terrible memories of his own… memories that, although they would always be there in the back of his mind, he needed to stop letting them eat away at him, and there was only one way to do that.

So by the time Harry reached his apartment he knew what he had to do. It was time for Harry to face the demons from his past, it was time for Harry Potter to, at long last, go home…

**Authors Note: **I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, it was great being able to use places and people from my real life. Anyway once again thanks to Jen, and I hope you enjoyed, please review.


	3. Mum's the Word

**Author's Note:** Ok, I know that this story kinda just disappeared but I'm back and I want to finish it, hope you enjoy. E

Chapter 3:

Mum's the Word

_The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole, England_

Ginny Weasley awoke to an insistent tugging on her arm. "Come on, sleepyhead, Pa has breakfast ready," said James, before running down the stairs to find his Grandpa. As Ginny climbed out of bed to get dressed she couldn't help but smile at the antics of her young son, it was hard to believe that in just a few months he would be 3 years old.

After quickly getting dressed and pulling her hair back into its normal ponytail, Ginny went downstairs to find her son sitting on her brothers' lap, holding his wand. "Ron, I told you I don't like James playing with wands, it's much too dangerous, remember what happened last time!" It had taken the combined efforts of her dad, her other brothers Bill, Fred and George (although they had done more damage than fix it) Ron, and his wife Hermione as well as herself to fix the damage to the first floor of the Burrow.

"Sorry, Gin, he just grabbed it from me," said Ron, taking back his wand from the young boy on his lap. Ginny just smiled and headed towards the kitchen, getting to the door she turned around to see Ron handing back his wand to her son. "Some things don't ever change," she thought with a smile on her face. Walking into the kitchen she was greeted by the sight of her father burning the toast and her sister-in-law, Hermione, half asleep at the kitchen table.

"Morning, Hermione, didn't you get any sleep last night?" said Ginny cheerfully. Looking up, Hermione glanced at Ginny before dropping her head back to the table. "Well, that was a warm welcome" said Ginny trying to keep the smile on her face.

Hermione, once more, raised her head. "Sorry Gin, I didn't get much sleep last night, the twins had other ideas," Hermione said through a yawn. Hermione was 7 months pregnant, but looked like she could give birth anytime now, so most thought it was likely to be twins.

Ginny laughed, "Hey, I know what you're going through, been there, done that." She was glad that Ron and Hermione were together, it helped her to remember just how important it was to love and be loved. Ginny had only ever loved one person, Harry Potter, the father of her child and the one who had saved the Wizarding world. Ginny snapped herself out of her daydream, knowing that if it continued she would surely end up in tears. With this, Ginny smiled as brightly as she could and walked over to her father.

"Would you like some help Dad?"

"Oh, morning Gin, um, if you could set the table, that would be good," said Arthur.

After finishing breakfast, the Weasleys started their jobs for the day. Being a Sunday meant that all the family was coming over for lunch; since the end of the war, it had become a sort of tradition in the Weasley house to have Sunday lunch as a family. So, Ron was tasked with setting up the table outside; Hermione, being 7 months pregnant couldn't really do much physical stuff, so she spent her time helping in the kitchen or watching James; Arthur helped Ron with setting up the table and Ginny spent most of her time preparing lunch. She was never quite as talented as her mum, but she could still make a pretty good feed, even by Weasley standards.

It was just past midday when the first of the Weasleys arrived; Fred was accompanied by his girlfriend Angelina Johnson. The couple had been dating for the past 6 months and Fred had recently let slip to Ginny that he was rather serious about Angelina, well, as serious as Fred could be. Next arrived George, who was presently single; although Fred had been badgering him about asking Katie Bell out, all George could do was turn bright red. Next to arrive was Bill and Fleur, usually they were accompanied by their 2 children, 3-year-old Michelle and 18-month Remus but it seemed that this week they were being looked after by Fleur's parents. Everyone was just about to sit down when Percy and his wife, Penelope, arrived, with Percy apologizing profusely saying that he had had to dash into work for some reason or another, Penelope just rolled her eyes and said 'hello' to everyone.

So with everyone finally there they sat down to eat and before long they were all chatting animatedly about the week gone by. Ginny soon got bored with the discussion between Angelina, Fred and George about the Bulgarians' chance at winning this year's Quidditch World Cup, and took a chance to look around at all her family gathered there. As usual, her father was at the head of the table; beside him was Ron then Hermione; Ginny sat next to Hermione with James on her other side who at the moment was being entertained by his Uncle Georges antics with his plastic spoon. Opposite George was Fred, then Angelina, Penelope, Percy, Fleur, and finally Bill who was next to her father. But there was one other setting at the table, between Fred and George, where their mother Molly should have sat. Even after nearly 3 and a half years they still set her place at the table, knowing that even though she wasn't sitting there, she was still with them in spirit, and over the years it became like a tribute, not only to their mother but to everyone they had lost, even Harry, who they hadn't seen for just as long. Ginny bowed her head, not wanting anyone to see the tears forming in her eyes.

A few minutes later the noises of plates being stacked told her that lunch was over. Quickly jumping up she grabbed a few plates before heading towards the kitchen followed closely by Hermione, who had noticed that Ginny was in tears. Hermione motioned to the others to stay where they were and headed indoors to find out what the matter was with her closest friend.

"Gin, are you ok..?" asked Hermione tenderly. Ginny turned around, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"I just can't stop thinking about them, all the friends we lost, not to mention Charlie and Mum, and, and Harry…" Ginny trailed off almost to a whisper.

"Oh, Gin, I, I know it's not fair, but someday we'll find him, someday he will come back to us, I know he will," Hermione replied.

"But Hermione, what if something has happened to him, I'll never get to say the things he deserves to hear, he'll never get to meet his son…. James will, will never know his father…"

"Don't think like that, he will, he has to," Hermione said sternly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just being silly… It's just that sitting around out there, with everyone so happy, it sometimes makes me mad, that we can sit here and play happy families when there are so many people missing… it's so unfair Hermione, I just miss him so much…"

"I know sweetie, we all miss him… we all miss him."

Outside everyone was quiet, all knowing why Ginny was upset, they all were... Too many people were missing… and even though Voldemort was finally gone, he had taken too many with him…

Later on that evening, after putting James to bed, Ginny decided a walk outside would do her good. She always liked going for walks at night, they helped her to think and relax, and although she mainly thought about the past in these night time strolls, it never seemed as bad as it really was, with the stars shining down, and the moon, like a big protector, making sure that the world was safe. Ginny thought back to the war, the moon had never been bright; it was always hidden behind the smog that had been everywhere, in daylight and at nighttime.

Ginny thought back to her mum, she had died a month after her night with Harry in Grimmauld Place. Out of all the deaths she had had to deal with her mother's had been the hardest.

Ginny had fallen into depression after her mum had died, it wasn't until her father had noticed she was putting on weight that she had snapped out of it; she remembered the day clearly:

"_Gin, sweetheart, is there something you need to tell me?" _

"_What do you mean, Dad?" _

"_Well, it's just that I noticed you have been rather sick lately and haven't been eating, but you haven't lost any weight. I don't know how to ask this, but, are you pregnant, Ginny?" _

Ginny had been at loss as to what to say. She couldn't be pregnant, she was too young, but she had been feeling rather sick recently, she had just thought it was some sort of tummy bug. That was when it dawned on her, her night with Harry; Ginny Weasley was going to be a mum.

Ginny's pregnancy had passed with little hassle; she had told very few people, trying keeping it to family and close friends. Most of the Order knew though, as the Burrow was often a stop-over point to relay information to each other. The only person Ginny had not told was Harry. It was one of the hardest decisions she had had to make. Everyone had tried to tell her that Harry had a right to know, but Ginny knew that if she did the consequences would be too great, so she swore everyone who knew to secrecy until Voldemort was gone for good.

James had been barely two months old when Voldemort was finally defeated. Ginny had awoken in the middle of the night, and sensing something was wrong she went immediately to James' cot. James was still sleeping, so she had crept downstairs to get a drink. Walking into the kitchen had been the strangest sensation; her father was there, staring straight ahead, following his gaze, Ginny looked to the old family clock. For the first time since she had started her fifth year at Hogwarts, there wasn't one arrow pointing to _Mortal Peril_.It was then that Ginny knew, without a doubt, that Lord Voldemort was finally gone.

Ginny hadn't known what to do, whether to laugh, cry or shout with joy. In the end she went and hugged her father, before going to get James, together the three of them waited for the soldiers to return home.

At first light, Fred and George had arrived, followed closely by Percy, Bill and Fleur. For the following hours, they waited for Harry, Hermione and Ron to return but by 11 o'clock they were still waiting. Ginny had reluctantly put James down for a nap; hopefully Harry would be there when his son woke. As Ginny came back downstairs, she heard the end of the conversation, they still hadn't heard from the three of them, they were giving up hope. Ginny couldn't stand it, after all they had been through Harry had to come home, he had to meet his son, he had to hear what Ginny had been trying to tell him for years, that she loved him beyond anything in this world. Listening to their conversation Ginny couldn't stand it any longer, she headed outside.

Walking out the door, Ginny looked up, it was a sight she would never forget: three figures walking towards her, one tall lanky, another, shorter then the others with lots of bushy hair and the third, who once was short for his age and rather small, was strong and lean. The trio was home. Ginny couldn't really remember the details of the rest of the day; she had run inside and told the others. Then everyone had run out, people were hugging and crying, but Ginny only wanted one person, she wanted Harry Potter. Looking around she spotted him, he stood aside from everyone else, and that's when she caught his eye. The look on his face terrified Ginny beyond belief, he was scared and shaken. Knowing that she had to get to him Ginny ran, but she was too late, moments before she would have reached him he had Apparated away.

Ginny had spent months trying to find out where he was, but never got very far. Her whole family had helped, but in the end they had given up. It wasn't until three days before James first birthday that Ginny came to realize that they would find Harry, but only when he wanted to be found. So she continued with her life, hoping each day that Harry would come back to her and James.


	4. A Reunion, Of Sorts

_**Authors Note:** Ok, I had hoped to have this up sooner but have been busy with my new job and writing new peices for my "Sing me a Song" Series. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, the last chapter is nearly complete and i should have it up mid next week._

**A Reunion, of Sorts**

By EccaDaisy

Harry couldn't believe it, he was finally in England, and further more, he had made it without being recognized, well so far anyway.

It had been only four days since Gaby had unintentionally helped Harry to return to England, but once he had made the decision everything seemed to come together rather quickly. The day after his talk with Gaby, Harry had headed to the Australia's Ministry of Magic and had booked a spot on the next available portkey to England. Once that was done, Harry had headed back to his apartment to start packing and say goodbye to a few friends.

Three days later found Harry heading down stairs to pay the last of the rent to Tyler, the landlord.

"Hi Harry, you all ready to go home?"

"Yeah, I am. I just wanted to give you the last payment for the rent and to say goodbye, I leave rather early in the morning," replied Harry.

"Thanks mate, but there's no need, I've already got a guy shifting in on the weekend, well, at least his mistress is, ya know what I mean," grinned Tyler. "But Harry, you never told me why you suddenly changed your mind 'bout going back to England."

To this Harry just smiled and said that a friend had told him that running wasn't always the best answer. With that Harry headed outside; there was still one more person he had to say goodbye to.

Hearing the knock at the door, Gaby turned down the music to see who it was. Upon opening the door she saw the last person she had expected, Harry, the guy from the club. "Well, didn't think I'd be seeing you after my outburst last Saturday," grinned Gaby.

"Yeah, well, I just had to come by and say thanks and good bye," replied Harry.

"You're welcome, but where are you going, don't tell me I scared you off…"

"No, nothing like that, I'm going back home, to England. Talking to you the other night made me realize that I have been running from the real me for way to long and that it's time for me to go home. I just wanted to say that you opened my eyes to what was in front of me the whole time - that I'll never be truly happy unless I face my past."

"I'm glad that I could be of help and I hope that all goes well for you. Well, here is my phone number and of course you already know my address. If you ever need someone to talk to, you know where I am, and if you ever come back down under, be sure to visit me," added Gaby.

"Yeah, thanks, I will," and with that Harry headed back down the street.

Gaby watched until Harry had walked around the corner. "Good luck, Harry, I hope you find what your missing," said Gaby to no one before walking inside and closing the door.

Just over 12 hours later, Harry felt the familiar jerk behind his navel and landed on his behind in a room at the Ministry of Magic, but this time he was in England. After having his wand inspected by Ministry officials and his identity confirmed, Harry, for the first time in nearly 4 years, stepped out into Muggle London, off to face his new future.

Walking into the kitchen, Ginny Weasley went straight to the cupboard getting out a rather large mug and filling it to the brim with hot coffee. After taking a rather large swig Ginny was finally ready to talk. "Morning, Dad, you're up early this morning,"

"Yeah, thought I'd get a head start on the lunch today; I don't have Ron's help, so it will take a bit longer," replied Arthur Weasley.

"Well, if you need a hand I'll be around, although I need to make a quick trip to Diagon Alley. It shouldn't take me long, I only want to visit the Apothecary and pay off some more on James' Present," Ginny said, barely suppressing a yawn in the middle.

"Just let me know when you leave and I'll keep an eye on James, otherwise you could be there for hours. Remember last time, the look on your face when you finally made it home was priceless," laughed her father.

Ginny did indeed remember her last visit to Diagon Alley with her son in tow. She had only planned on visiting Gringotts and the Apothecary, and if she had time she had planned to visit the twins' shop. In the end, she had been three hours late, and had been in nearly every single shop in Diagon Alley, not to mention the three times that she had nearly lost her son. It had not been a good day.

The first priority for Harry was to find some accommodation. He knew he could go to 12 Grimmauld Place, but wasn't quite prepared to face that so soon, nor was he ready to see Hogwarts or The Burrow for that matter and there was no way he was going to return to Privet Drive.

That left either The Burrow or a hotel, and after deciding that it would be too rude to just appear and demand a place to stay at The Burrow, Harry headed towards the Atrium, so that he could floo to The Leaky Cauldron.

"Dad, where are you?" Authur heard his daughter shouting.

"I'm out in the garden, Gin," called Authur.

"Found you; I'm just heading to Diagon Alley. I've just put James down for a nap," said Ginny as she walked towards her father.

"Have you set the charms?" asked her father.

"Of course Dad, I never let James sleep alone without at least a dozen charms to make sure his alright and protected," came the reply, followed mere seconds later by the telltale noise of Apparition.

The Leaky Cauldron was quiet at this time of day, which was what Harry had hoped for; he just needed a few days to himself in England before starting on the terrifying task of finding old friends, especially Ginny. Harry greeted the barman, it was his first reminder of the war and why he had ended up leaving. Tom, the previous owner, had been one of the first of many lives that had been taken in the war.

"Good Mornin' Sir, welcome to the Leaky Cauldron, how can I help ye'?" said the barman, a tall wizard with brown hair, wearing dark blue wizard's robes.

"I'd like to book a room for a week or so, maybe more," answered Harry.

"Well, let's see what we have here… aha, number 19, top of the stairs and to the left."

Just then the bell above the main entrance into the Leaky Cauldron rang. From where Harry was he couldn't see the door, but the barman could and he obviously knew the person.

"Well, haven't seen you around here lately. How's that son of yours? Oh, but I've forgotten my manners, would ye' like a drink, Miss Weasley?"


End file.
